It's Tricky: Organizing a Tricky Tray is No Easy Task

First off,  what’s a Tricky Tray?

It’s basically a gigantic raffle. There's a huge array of product and services arranged on tables, you buy  tickets and put them in receptacles next to the prizes you want to win.

My children’s elementary school does an annual tricky tray with a twist, called “Nite at the Races,'' where play money is used to bet on pre-recorded video cast horse races . Winnings are converted to raffle tickets for over 100 prizes.

I had so much fun at this event last year that I volunteered to be a chairwoman for it this year, when it will be held on April 8 at Zeris Inn in Mountain Lakes.

There are the obvious challenges, like picking the right date, getting a good venue and finding people to help. But with a Tricky Tray there’s the added complexity of securing the appropriate licenses with the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission , part of the Division of Consumer Affairs. We had to complete multiple applications, get them notarized and submit them in quadruplicate.

Soliciting prizes for the big night comes next. 

Luckily, we have Lani Duffy, a chairwoman for our event last year and ran a Tricky Tray for the Parsippany Moms Club in May of 2008. That event raised $17,000 for Cherished Creations, a New Jersey non-profit that grants wishes for children with cancer.

Duffy is a force to be reckoned with. She cheerfully and diligently approaches small businesses throughout the area and hits up popular attractions like Disney, Broadway Theatres, the local sports teams and nearby resorts.

“There’s nothing like the thrill of going to the mailbox and picking up a new  donation,” Duffy said. “It’s a great feeling when the businesses you patronize are really generous and support something  important to you.”

 I spoke to Anna Giambattista who is almost single-handedly running a  at The Atrium in West Orange.  The proceeds from her event will go to the Relay for Life of Greater Parsippany in memory of her father.

“I love tricky trays and I’ve seen the amount I usually spend at one of them so I know the potential to raise funds for a good cause is significant.”

Giambattista has dozens of donations and prizes. She is most proud of a baseball she received from the New York Yankees that was signed by Mark Teixeira.

l here in Parsippany has a tricky tray soon too. The school's event happens on March 5 at its annual   They have around 100 prizes that range from $25 to $100 in value. They also do a couple of “grand prizes” with items like a TV or a gym membership.

If you are running a Tricky Tray and you’ve solicited all these products and services, it’s your responsibility to make sure those donations generate meaningful financial results.

So how do you do that? You need to fill the room. You need lots of people to spend money trying to win all those prizes. 

If you’re lucky, you have a committee working with you. If each of them rounds up family and friends to make a table of 10, that’s half your audience. The rest comes from members of your organization, local publicity, event calendars and resources for the pros like www.trickytray.com.

Last year, our "Nite at the Races” raised more than $10,000 to help build a sorely needed .

So why not consider a new venue for date night? Check out a nearby Tricky Tray.  You'll support a local cause, have fun and maybe even walk away with some great prizes.